Technical Papers
Feb 2, 2018

Undrained Behavior of Silty Sand and the Role of Isotropic and K0 Consolidation

Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 144, Issue 4

Abstract

The characteristic features of undrained behavior of a silty sand are investigated for a range of initial conditions (e,p) for both isotropic consolidation (CIU) and K0 consolidation (K0U). The silty sand contains approximately 10% natural fines. The steady-state line (SSL) for K0-consolidated specimens is slightly below the SSL for isotropic consolidated specimens. The so-called reverse behavior for silty sand is not observed for CIU, although it is observed in some cases for K0U. Earlier studies claimed that the shape and location of the consolidation line with respect to the SSL can explain such behavior. The findings of this study suggest that the liquefaction potential, a key parameter for observing reverse behavior, depends on the state of the soil and shows a unique relation to the state parameter (ψ) irrespective of the type of consolidation. However, the stress ratio at the triggering of liquefaction, ηIS, and liquefaction resistance, qIS, show slightly different relationships with ψ for isotropic and K0 conditions. This finding has practical importance for estimating liquefaction strengths, triggering of liquefaction, and developing a ψ-dependent constitutive model both for isotropic and K0 consolidation.

Get full access to this article

View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.

Acknowledgments

The first author acknowledges the financial support of the University Presidents Scholarship (UPS) from University of South Australia (UniSA) and the study leave from Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology (DUET), Bangladesh for his doctoral study.

References

Alarcon-Guzman, A., Leonards, G. A., and Chameau, J. L. (1988). “Undrained monotonic and cyclic strength of sand.” J. Geotech. Eng., 1089–1109.
ASTM. (2000a). “Standard test methods for laboratory compaction characteristics of soil using standard effort.” ASTM D698, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2000b). “Standard test methods for maximum index density and unit weight of soils using a vibratory table.” ASTM D4253, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2005). “Standard test methods for liquid limit, plastic limit, and plasticity index of soils.” ASTM D4318, West Conshohocken, PA.
Baki, A. L. (2011). “Cyclic liquefaction behaviour of granular materials with fines.” Ph.D. dissertation, Univ. of New South Wales, Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra, Australia.
Baki, M. A. L., Rahman, M. M., and Lo, S. R. (2014). “Predicting onset of cyclic instability of loose sand with fines using instability curves.” Soil Dyn. Earthq Eng., 140–151.
Baki, M. A. L., Rahman, M. M., Lo, S. R., and Gnanendran, C. T. (2012). “Linkage between static and cyclic liquefaction of loose sand with a range of fines contents.” Can. Geotech. J., 49(8), 891–906.
Been, K., and Jefferies, M. (2004). “Stress-dilatancy in very loose sand.” Can. Geotech. J., 41(5), 972–989.
Been, K., and Jefferies, M. G. (1985). “A state parameter for sands.” Geotechnique, 35(2), 99–112.
Been, K., Jefferies, M. G., and Hachey, J. (1991). “The critical state of sands.” Geotechnique, 41(3), 365–381.
Bishop, A. W. (1974). “The strength of crustal materials.” Eng. Geol., 8(1–2), 139–153.
Bobei, D. C., Lo, S. R., Wanatowski, D., Gnanendran, C. T., and Rahman, M. M. (2009). “A modified state parameter for characterizing static liquefaction of sand with fines.” Can. Geotech. J., 46(3), 281–295.
Chiu, C. F., and Fu, X. J. (2008). “Interpreting undrained instability of mixed soils by equivalent intergranular state parameter.” Geotechnique, 58(9), 751–755.
Chu, J., and Gan, C. L. (2004). “Effect of void ratio on K0 of loose sand.” Geotechnique, 54(4), 285–288.
Chu, J., and Leong, W. K. (2002). “Effect of fines on instability behaviour of loose sand.” Geotechnique, 52(10), 751–755.
Chu, J., Leong, W. K., Loke, W. L., and Wanatowski, D. (2012). “Instability of loose sand under drained conditions.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 207–216.
Chu, J., Lo, S. R., and Lee, I. K. (1993). “Instability of granular soils under strain path testing.” J. Geotech. Eng., 874–892.
Chu, J., and Wanatowski, D. (2008). “Instability conditions of loose sand in plane strain.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 136–142.
Colliat-Dangus, J. L., Desrues, J., and Foray, P. (1988). “Triaxial testing of granular soil under elevated cell pressure.” Advanced triaxial testing of soil and rock, ASTM STP 977, R. T. Donaghe, R. C. Chaney, and M. L. Silver, eds., ASTM, Philadelphia, PA, 290–310.
Finno, R. J., and Rechenmacher, A. L. (2003). “Effects of consolidation history on critical state of sand.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 350–360.
Fourie, A. B., Blight, G. E., and Papadimitriou, A. G. (2001). “Static liquefaction as a possible explanation for the Merriespruit tailings dam failure.” Can. Geotech. J., 38(4), 707–719.
Fourie, A. B., and Tshabalala, L. (2005). “Initiation of static liquefaction and the role of K0 consolidation.” Can. Geotech. J., 42(3), 892–906.
Imam, S. M. R., Morgenstern, N. R., Robertson, P. K., and Chan, D. H. (2002). “Yielding and flow liquefaction of loose sand.” Soils Found., 42(3), 19–31.
Imam, S. M. R., Morgenstern, N. R., Robertson, P. K., and Chan, D. H. (2005). “A critical-state constitutive model for liquefiable sand.” Can. Geotech. J., 42(3), 830–855.
Ishihara, K. (1993). “Liquefaction and flow failure during earthquakes.” Geotechnique, 43(3), 351–451.
Jefferies, M., and Been, K. (2006). Soil liquefaction: A critical state approach, Taylor & Francis, London.
Kato, S., Ishihara, K., and Towhata, I. (2001). “Undrained shear characteristics of saturated sand under anisotropic consolidation.” Soils Found, 41(1), 1–11.
Konrad, J. M. (1993). “Undrained response of loosely compacted sands during monotonic and cyclic compression tests.” Geotechnique, 43(1), 69–89.
Lade, P. V. (1992). “Static instability and liquefaction of loose fine sandy slopes.” J. Geotech. Eng., 51–71.
Lade, P. V., and Yamamuro, J. A. (2011). “Evaluation of static liquefaction potential of silty sand slopes.” Can. Geotech. J., 48(2), 247–264.
Lee, J., Yun, T. S., Lee, D., and Lee, J. (2013). “Assessment of K0 correlation to strength for granular materials.” Soils Found, 53(4), 584–595.
Li, X. S., and Dafalias, Y. F. (2000). “Dilatancy for cohesionless soils.” Geotechnique, 50(4), 449–460.
Li, X. S., Defalias, Y. F., and Wang, Z. L. (1999). “State-dependent dilatancy in critical-state constitutive modelling of sand.” Can. Geotech. J., 36(4), 599–611.
Lo, S.-C. R., and Chu, J. (1991). “The measurement of K0 by triaxial strain path testing.” Soils Found., 31(2), 181–187.
Lo, S. R., Chu, J., and Lee, I. K. (1989). “A technique for reducing membrane penetration and bedding errors.” Geotech. Test J., 12(4), 311–316.
Lo, S. R., Rahman, M. M., and Bobei, D. C. (2010). “Limited flow behaviour of sand with fines under monotonic and cyclic loading.” Geomech. Geoeng., 5(1), 15–25.
Murthy, T. G., Loukidis, D., Carraro, J. A. H., Prezzi, M., and Salgado, R. (2007). “Undrained monotonic response of clean and silty sands.” Geotechnique, 57(3), 273–288.
Nguyen, H. B. K., Rahman, M. M., Cameron, D. A., and Fourie, A. B. (2014). “The effect of consolidation path on undrained behaviour of sand—A DEM approach.” Proc., 14th Int. Conf. of Int. Association for Computer Methods and Recent Advances in Geomechanics, IACMAG, Taylor & Francis, London, 175–180.
Nguyen, H. B. K., Rahman, M. M., and Fourie, A. B. (2016). “Undrained behaviour of granular material and the role of fabric in isotropic and K0-consolidation: DEM approach.” Geotechnique, 67(2), 153–167.
Olson, S. M., Stark, T. D., Walton, W. H., and Castro, G. (2000). “1907 static liquefaction flow failure of the north dike of Wachusett Dm.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 1184–1193.
Omar, T., and Sadrekarimi, A. (2015). “Specimen size effects on behavior of loose sand in triaxial compression tests.” Can. Geotech. J., 52(6), 732–746.
Rabbi, A. T. M. Z. (2015). “Behaviour of silty sand: Effect of consolidation, stress path and fines content.” Ph.D. thesis, Univ. of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.
Rabbi, A. T. M. Z., Rahman, M. M., and Cameron, D. A. (2015). “Undrained behaviour of silty glacial sand under K0-consolidation.” 6th Int. Conf. on Eathquake Geotechnical Engineering, New Zealand Geotechnical Society, Christchurch, New Zealand, 443.
Rahman, M. M., Baki, M. A. L., and Lo, S. R. (2014a). “Prediction of undrained monotonic and cyclic liquefaction behavior of sand with fines based on the equivalent granular state parameter.” Int. J. Geomech., 254–266.
Rahman, M. M., Lo, S.-C. R., and Dafalias, Y. F. (2014b). “Modelling the static liquefaction of sand with low-plasticity fines.” Geotechnique, 64(11), 881–894.
Rahman, M. M., and Lo, S. R. (2012). “Predicting the onset of static liquefaction of loose sand with fines.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 1037–1041.
Rahman, M. M., and Lo, S. R. (2014). “Undrained behavior of sand-fines mixtures and their state parameter.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 04014036.
Rahman, M. M., Lo, S. R., and Baki, M. A. L. (2011). “Equivalent granular state parameter and undrained behaviour of sand-fines mixtures.” Acta Geotech., 6(4), 183–194.
Rahman, M. M., Lo, S. R., and Gnanendran, C. T. (2008). “On equivalent granular void ratio and steady state behaviour of loose sand with fines.” Can. Geotech. J., 45(10), 1439–1456.
Rowe, P. W., and Barden, L. (1964). “Importance of free ends in triaxial testing.” J. Soil Mech. Found. Div., 90(1), 1–27.
Sadrekarimi, A. (2013). “Influence of state and compressibility on liquefied strength of sands.” Can. Geotech. J., 50(10), 1067–1076.
Sadrekarimi, A. (2014). “Effect of mode of shear on static liquefaction analysis.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 04014069.
Sadrekarimi, A., and Olson, S. M. (2011). “Yield strength ratios, critical strength ratios, and brittleness of sandy soils from laboratory tests.” Can. Geotech. J., 48(3), 493–510.
Sladen, J. A., D’Hollander, R. D., and Krahn, J. (1985). “The liquefaction of sands, a collapse surface approach.” Can. Geotech. J., 22(4), 564–578.
Thevanayagam, S., Shenthan, T., Mohan, S., and Liang, J. (2002). “Undrained fragility of clean sands, silty sands, and sandy silts.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 849–859.
Vaid, Y. P., and Sivathayalan, S. (1996). “Errors in estimates of void ratio of laboratory sand specimens.” Can. Geotech. J., 33(6), 1017–1020.
Wanatowski, D., and Chu, J. (2007). “Static liquefaction of sand in plane strain.” Can. Geotech. J., 44(3), 299–313.
Wong, R. C. K. (1999). “Mobilized strength components of Athabasca oil sand in triaxial compression.” Can. Geotech. J., 36(4), 718–735.
Yamamuro, J. A., and Lade, P. V. (1997). “Static liquefaction of very loose sands.” Can. Geotech. J., 34(6), 901–917.
Yamamuro, J. A., and Lade, P. V. (1998). “Steady-state concepts and static liquefaction of silty sands.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 868–877.
Yang, J. (2002). “Non-uniqueness of flow liquefaction line for loose sand.” Geotechnique, 52(10), 757–760.
Yang, S. L., Sandven, R., and Grande, L. (2006a). “Instability of sand-silt mixtures.” Soil Dyn. Earthq Eng., 26(2–4), 183–190.
Yang, S. L., Sandven, R., and Grande, L. (2006b). “Steady-state lines of sand-silt mixtures.” Can. Geotech. J., 43(11), 1213–1219.

Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Go to Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 144Issue 4April 2018

History

Received: Nov 23, 2015
Accepted: Oct 12, 2017
Published online: Feb 2, 2018
Published in print: Apr 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Jul 2, 2018

Permissions

Request permissions for this article.

Authors

Affiliations

Research Associate, School of Natural and Built Environments, Univ. of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5095, Australia (corresponding author). E-mail: [email protected]
Md. Mizanur Rahman, M.ASCE [email protected]
Research Strand Leader, Water and Natural Resources, Natural and Built Environments Research Centre; Associate Professor, School of Natural and Built Environments, Univ. of South Australia, Room P2-42(A), Mawson Lakes, Adelaide, SA 5095, Australia. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0638-4055. E-mail: [email protected]
Donald A. Cameron [email protected]
Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, School of Natural and Built Environments, Univ. of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5095, Australia. E-mail: [email protected]

Metrics & Citations

Metrics

Citations

Download citation

If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.

Cited by

View Options

Get Access

Access content

Please select your options to get access

Log in/Register Log in via your institution (Shibboleth)
ASCE Members: Please log in to see member pricing

Purchase

Save for later Information on ASCE Library Cards
ASCE Library Cards let you download journal articles, proceedings papers, and available book chapters across the entire ASCE Library platform. ASCE Library Cards remain active for 24 months or until all downloads are used. Note: This content will be debited as one download at time of checkout.

Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.
ASCE Library Card (5 downloads)
$105.00
Add to cart
ASCE Library Card (20 downloads)
$280.00
Add to cart
Buy Single Article
$35.00
Add to cart

Get Access

Access content

Please select your options to get access

Log in/Register Log in via your institution (Shibboleth)
ASCE Members: Please log in to see member pricing

Purchase

Save for later Information on ASCE Library Cards
ASCE Library Cards let you download journal articles, proceedings papers, and available book chapters across the entire ASCE Library platform. ASCE Library Cards remain active for 24 months or until all downloads are used. Note: This content will be debited as one download at time of checkout.

Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.
ASCE Library Card (5 downloads)
$105.00
Add to cart
ASCE Library Card (20 downloads)
$280.00
Add to cart
Buy Single Article
$35.00
Add to cart

Media

Figures

Other

Tables

Share

Share

Copy the content Link

Share with email

Email a colleague

Share